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Tottenham striker Defoe could yet make West Ham return

Sam Allardyce may rekindle his interest after the player was linked with an MLS move

West Ham United could be the beneficiaries if Tottenham decide to sell striker Jermain Defoe, with the forward’s former employers likely to head up any queue to land his services.

The England international was this week linked with a shock move to Major League Soccer club Toronto where current manager and former Spurs star Ryan Nelsen has made no secret of his desire to bring the forward across the Atlantic.

"To get a guy like Defoe for the MLS, I cannot think of many that are more suited,” he told reporters.

Yet the New Zealander admitted he was under no illusions when it came to bringing the player to America nothing that “most Premier League teams…would take Defoe.”

One potential suitor is West Ham, with the 31-year-old previously linked with a summer return to Upton Park after he was snapped enjoying dinner in the same London restaurant as Hammers boss Allardyce.

That said, the former Bolton boss has previously admitted that any move for the forward looked unlikely given budgetary concerns at the club.

However with Andy Carroll continuing to return to fitness and the likes of Mladen Petric, Carlton Cole and Modipo Maiga struggling to make an impact, those controlling the purse strings at West Ham may be forced to reevaluate the situation come January.

Defoe, meanwhile, is likely to favour any move that ensures he plays regular first-team football, with the striker still keen on securing a spot in the England squad for next summer’s World Cup.

Allardyce could have quite a job on his hands though, with any deal needing to appease both the club’s owners and their fans, many of whom may still remember the acrimonious way in which the young Defoe departed the club following relegation from the Premier League.

Jack Beresford

Jack is a 27-year-old writer with experience in writing about sport in a range of guises. He’s something of a statto when it comes to soccer and has a passion for English football at all levels, as well as Serie A and the Bundesliga.